Convertible flat-bed printing-press.



\ w. s. HUSON.

CONVERTIBLE ELAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1914.

Patented Jan. 18,, 1916.

II MWHJ L WI THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co, WASHINGTON, D. C4

W. S. HUSON.

CONVERTIBLE FLAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21,1914. 1,168,887. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET Z.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ,C0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. S. HUSONX CONVERTIBLE FLAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR- 2h 1914. 1,168,887. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3- W. S. HUSON.

CONVERTIBLE FLAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. ZI, I9I4.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON. D. c

W. S. HUSON. CONVERTIBLE FLAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 2M 1914. I 1,168,887. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH CO, WASHINGTON, D. C

W. S. HUSON. CONVERTIBLE FLAT BED PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2|, [914. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

' TED STATES PATENT onnion.

WINFIELD S. HUSON, OF DERBY, CONN ECTIGUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITLOOK PRINT ING PRESS MFG. 00., OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION. Y

CONVERTIBLE FLAT-BED PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 21, 1914. Serial No. 826,408.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W'INFIELD S. HUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Derby, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible F lat-Bed Printing-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, 1n-

Figure 1 a view of my improved printing press in side elevation showing it converted for use as a semi-automatic feed press for which purpose the feed-table has applied to it the removable auxiliary-feed head and the removable detector-head. Fig. 2 a plan view of the feed-table of the press stripped of everything but its two sets of tapes and their rolls. Fig. 3 a broken view of the press in side elevation, showing it converted for use as a full manual-feed press with its front and back flaps shown in their elevated positions by broken lines; Fig. i a corresponding View, showing the press converted for use as a full automatic feed press. Fig. 5 a broken plan view of the press as converted for the semi-automatic feeding of the sheets. Fig. 6 a broken side view of the same. Fig. 7 a detached view in side elevation of the removable detector-head and detector, showing in conjunction therewith the detector-finger carrier. Fig. 8 a detached plan view of the gear-ends of the driving tape-rolls and the intermediate pinion for driving the same. Fig. 9 a broken view in side elevation ofthe lower left-hand side of the press about midway the length thereof, showing its automatic resetting mechanism in its normal or idle position. Fig. 10 a broken view of the press in vertical transverse section looking rearward and also showing its automatic resetting mechanism in its normal or idle position. Fig. 11 a broken detail plan view of that portion of Fig. 10 directly below it, showing the swinging resetting-head in its resetting position. Fig. 12 a view of the machine in vertical transverse section corresponding to Fig. 10, except that the parts of the automatic resetting-mechanism are shown as tripped for suspending the operation of theimpression Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

cylinder. Fig. 13 a broken detail plan view corresponding to Fig. 11 and showing the parts of Fig. 12 directly beneath it, in their tripped positions with the impression-bar in its uncoupled lifted position in which it co-acts with the resetting-head; Fig. 14: a

broken detail view in side elevation ofthe I mid portion of the lower right hand side of detector-head and their co-acting parts.

Fig. 17 a broken detail view in transverse section, showing the toggle-mechanism of the press in front elevation. Fig. 18 a broken detail view showing the rocking stop-lever arranged for the operation of an electric switch for use when an electric motor is employed to drive the press.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of fiat-bed cylinder printing presses adapted to a wide range of work by being made convertible for use as a manual feed press, as a semi-automatic feed press, and as a full automatic feed press, according to the character and size of the job to be done, the object being to produce a press automatic or full automatic feeding, to con venient access for making ready, and to economy of time and increase of capacity due to the automatic resetting of the press after its impression-1nechanism has been momentarily out out of operation through the medium of an imperfectly fed sheet.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a lated cylinder printing press having certain details of construction and combinations ofparts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recitedin the claims. 7

As herein shown, the feed-table of my. improved convertible press comprises a fixed central section 2 secured to the press-frame 3, a swinging-front flap 4i hinged adjacent to the forward edge of the section 2 and a swinging back flap comprising leaves 5 and 6 and hinged to the rear edge of the section 2 by hinges 7 applied to the forward edge of the leaf 5, whereby'the front flap 4, and the two-part back flap are adapted to beilifted vertically and swung into retired positions above the section 2 of the table for access to the central portion of the press. As shown, the front flap 4 is-hung to turn upon the shaft 8 and has its rear edge beveled as at 9 forclearance. The rear edge of the narrow rear leaf 6 of the two-part back flap has an idler tape-roll 10 mounted in it. H

I am aware that broadly speaking, a feedtable having hinged front and back flaps is not new, though such flaps have not before been constructed and utilized as herein described. A stop 12 mounted upon the pressframe'3, (Fig. 3), is employed for support-3 ing the two-part rear flap in its raised posi;

tion in which it permits the pressman to enter the space 13formed betweenthe rear 7 end of the press-frame 3 and the automaticfeeder whichis organized as a separate machine and may be of any standard form.

As herein shown, the automatic feeder comprises bearing-heads 14 supported upon printed are successively fed by the automatic feeder upon four sheet-conveying tapes 18 arranged-1n two pa rs respectively located on opposite sides of thelongitudinal center of the press. Of course the number of these tapesand their arrangement may be varied. The rear ends of the tapes 18 passover the idler tape-roll 10 aforesaid, while their forward ends pass over and are driven by a driving tape-roller 19 rising into arecess 20 in the fixed section 2 of the feed-table.

The tape-roller 19 is furnished at its right hand end or on the gear side of the press, with sliding pinion 21 adapted to be meshed into or demeshed from an intermediate pinion 22 constantly driven by a pinion 23 mounted on a shaft 24 carrying at its extreme right hand end a bevel pinion25 meshing into a bevel pinion 26 on the upper. end of an inclined shaft 27 furnished at its lower end with a bevel pinion 28 meshing into a bevel pinion 293111011I1l3d upon a shaft 30 carrying a gear 31 meshing into a large gear 32 driven by an intermediate gear 33 in mesh with a main driving gear 34 mounted upon the main driving-shaft 35 of the press. The automatic feeder is driven by a bevel gear 36 meshing into the bevel pinion 25 aforesaid, and mounted upon the forward end of an inclined shaft 37 provided at its rear end with a bevel gear 38 meshing into a bevel gear 39 on the main driving-shaft 40 ofthe automatic feeder as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The rear set of tapes 18 delivers the sheets to a corresponding or shorter set of front sheet-conveying tapes 41 of which, as shown, there are four arranged in two pairs com plementary to the tapes 18. The tapes 41 pass at their rear ends over a driving taperoller 42 mounted upon the top of the pressframe 3, rising into the recess 20 in the feedtable section 2, and provided atvits right handend with a pinion 43 meshing into the intermediate pinion 22 aforesaid. At their forward ends the tapes 41 pass over anidler tape-roller 44 journaled in the forward edge of the front flap 4 of the sectional feed-table.

It will be seen from the foregoing that instead of employing a single set of tapes for conveying the sheets over the feedtable,1 employ two independently driven sets of tapes, arranged in series and break: ing so to speak, at about the middle of the table, and whereby I. am enabled to suspend the driving of the rear set of tapes for converting the press into a semi-automatic feed press and to suspend the driving I verted for use as a full manual feedpress. Moreover, the breaking of the tapes, permits either one or both flanges of the table to be lifted without deranging the tapes. If desired other sheet-conveying means ar ranged in series and breaking on the same plan might be employed in my improved press in place of the tapes shown and described. 1

of both sets of tapes when the press. is con- F or convenience I will describe the construction and operation of my improved press with reference to its conversion into and use as a. full manual, seml-autoinatlc and full automatic feed press, in the order named. I

For using the press as a. full manual. press, its feed-table is stripped as shown in F ig. 3, by the removal of the auxiliary or semi-automatic feed-mechanism AV and the detector-head mechanism B. The gear 31" is drawn outward on the shaft 30 to demesh it from the large gear wheel .7 32,

whereby the operation of both sets of tapes 18 and 41 is suspended. The sheets to be printed are now piled upon the front flap 4 of the feed-table and successively fed by I hand against a pair of pivotal depending detector-fingers 45 mounted upon the rear mounted in brackets 48 on the press-frame 3.

,ends of carriers 46 secured to. a rod 47 any approved construction for grasping the sheet after its presentation to the said detector-fingers which act merely as guides when the press is used as a fullmanual press. This concludes the feeding of the sheetsin the full manual use of the press.

For the conversion of my improved press for use as semi-automatic feed-press, I superimpose the semi-automatic feed-mechanism A upon the fixed section 2 of the feed-table to which it is fastened by knurled screws 50. I also apply the detector-head mechanism B directly to the front end of the front flap 4 by corresponding screws 51, 51.

I may here note that in the printing presses of the prior art the removable detector-heads employed have not been attached directly to the front flap of thefeedtable as provided for byme but have been carried by pivoted arms connected at their rear ends to the press-frame and operable independent of the front flap of the feedtablein a manner requiring more timefor removal and replacement than necessary under my invention. V

The semi-automatic feed-mechanism fA shown herein constitutes specifically no part of my invention and I do not limit myself to its use rather than to some other device an swering the same purpose. As shown, it comprises end-plates 52 having a rock-shaft 53 journaled in their forward ends. The said shaft 53 is oscillated by a rock-arm 54 provided with a pin 55 engaged by the hooked rear; end of a coupling-rod 56, and mounts a pair of rearwardly extending arms 57, each carrying a feed-roll 58. The said semi-automatic feed-mechanism A also comprises a rod 59 mounted at its ends in the plates 52, 52 and carrying sheet-guides 60 and deflecting fingers 61.

The detector-head mechanism B specifically considered constitutes no part of my present invention and may be replaced by other similar devices. As shown, it consists of two end-plates 62 throughwhich the screws 51, 51 aforesaid pass. Each of the plates 62 is provided with a forwardly extending bracket-arm 63 in the ends of which are journaled the ends of a rockshaft 64 upon which is mounted an independently oscillated hollow rock shaft65.

The hollow shaft 65 is provided with two depending arms 66 carrying longitudinally adjustable stops 67 furnished at their forward ends with heads 68 co-acting with horizontal stop-fingers 69 formed integral with the upper ends of detector-fingers45 pivotally mounted in the carriers 46 as already described, and therefore not organized with the detector-head mechanism B but permanently mounted upon the press-frame 3. The swinging movement of the fingers 45 and 69, is limited by means of stops 70 secured to the carriers 46 which are also provided with light sheet-metal deflectors 71 deflecting the edges of the sheets against the lower ends of the detector-fingers 45.

The said hollow shaft 65 is oscillated by the.

provision of its extreme right hand endvwith an arm 72 carrying a roller 73 co-acting with a cam 74 on the right hand end of a cam-shaft 75 journaled at its ends in the end-plates 62, 62 and furnished at its right.

hand end with a bevel pinion76 meshing into a similar pinion 77 upon the forward end of a short shaft 78 mounted in a sleeve.

79 cast upon the right, hand edge of the front flap 4. At its rear end the shaft 78 carries a bevel pinion 80 meshing into a bevel pinion 81 on the right hand end of the I shaft 8 upon which the front flap 4 swings which carries at its inner end a pinion 84 (Fig. 5), inmesh witha pinion 84 in mesh with the pinion 43 aforesaid, whereby the cam-shaft 75 is driven by power supplied throughthe shaft 27.

For every revolution of the cam-shaft 7 5" andhence of the cam 74, the hollow shaft:

65 is oscillated, and with it, its arms 66 with the effect of oscillating the heads 68 of the stops 67 ineclos'e proximity to the stop-fingers 69 of the detectonfingers 45. lVhen a sheet is properly presented, its edge will strike the lower ends of both of the detectorfingers 45, whereby their respective stoparms 69 will be depressed below the path in which the heads 68 of the stops 67 are swung by the oscillation of the rock-arms 66. In case, however, either one of the. detectorfingers 45 is not operated by the edge of the sheet being fed, its stop-arm 69 will be left' in position to be engaged by the head 68 of its complementary stop 67, whereby the arm 66 carrying the said stop will be arrested in its forward swinging motion, andowith it the hollow shaft 65 which also carries a depressor-arm 85 furnished with a roller 86 riding upon the upper edge of a trippingrod 87 normally maintained in an elevated position by means of av spring 88 in a bracket 89. The consequent holding back of the said depressor-arm 85 prevents the same from depressing the tripping-rod 87 against the tension of the spring 88 as required for the clearance of a tripping-collar 90 mounted upon the rod 87 and having its upper edge I inherent for co-action with a tripping-tooth 91 located at the lower end of a rock-arm '92 depending from the right hand end of the rock-shaft 64 located within the hollow shaft 65 and continuously oscillated independently thereof.

The rock shaft 64 is continuously oscillated by its provision at its extreme right hand end with an arm 93 carrying a'roller 94 riding upon a cam 95 mounted upon the cam-shaft aforesaid. When the sheets are being properly fed the pivotal tripping rod 87 is depressed at regular intervals so as to carry its collar 90 below the tooth 91 at the lower end of the continuously oscillated rock-arm 92,-whereby the tooth 91- normally swings over the collar 90 without functioning. Incase, however, a sheet is improperly fed and fails to operate either of the swinging detector-fingers 4-5, one of the detectorarms 69, as the case may be,wil1 be left in position to be engaged by one or the other of the heads 68 ofthe stops 67 respectively mounted as described in the lower ends of the rock-arms 66 depending from the hollow shaft.v 65 carrying the depressor-arm which is relied upon to periodically depress the tripping-rod 87 so as to clear the collar from the tripping-tooth 91. The failure of the arm 85 to depress the rod 87' leaves' the collar 90 in position to be engaged by the tooth 91' of the constantly oscillated arm 92 which, as it swings rearwardly, pushes the rodv87 rearwardly for suspendingthe operation of the impression mechanism of the 'p'ressuntil the fault has been corrected,

afterwhicli the press automatically resumes its printing function, as will be described late'ron.r

It should be explained in this connection that the detector-arms 69 co-acting with the heads 68. of the stops 67 hold the arm 85 against the'action of gravitywhich is relied upon to swing it downward and forward to depress the tripping-rod 87 to clear the tripping-tooth 91 as described. The weight of the arm 85 in depressing the rod 87, is supplemented by the weight of the arm 72 the 1 roller 73 ofwhich normally rides upon the cam 74 which is held above the dwell of the cam against the action of gravity by the coaction of either one or the other, of the stop-fingers 69 with the heads 68 of the stops 67.. In other words, an improperly" presented sheet functions to temporarily bring into play tripping-mechanism which normally, as may be said, misses fire.

The'cam-shaft 75 by which the several parts of the feed-detector mechanism B are operated, is also utilized for the opera tion of the parts of the auxiliary or semi means? raising and lowering of the feed-rolls58 of the semi-automatic feed A, these rolls being depressed upon the fed sheets for pinch- I ing the same, as it were, upon the traveling front sheet-conveyer tapes 14.

In printing presses of the prior art detector mechanisms have beeniemployed to suspend the operation of the impression cylinder, as well as to stop the press. In either case, it has been necessary for the pressman to interfere andeither again start the im pression mechanism or the entire press as the case may be. One of the main ob ects' of my invention, as already stated, is to provide means for the automatic resetting of the impression mechanism after its operation has been suspended, as soon as the normal feeding of the press has been resumed irrespective of the number of impressions missed; In carrying out this feature of my invention, the'tripping-rod 87 already described, is pivotally connected at its rear end with the depending arm 101 of a bellcrank lever 102 hung upon the rod 99 aforesaid and having its upper arm 103' furnished with a coupling-pin 104 entering a coupling slot 105 in the enlarged upperend of a vertically arranged trippingrod 106 having its lower'end threaded and entered into the upper end of a head 107 the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the upper arm 108 of a two-armed latch lever 109 (Fig. 10) turning upon a stud 110 'in the press-frame 3 and having its lower arm 111 formed with a locking-notch 112 receiving a locking-finger 113 formed upon the arm 114 of a latch-head 115 hung upon a stud 116 and,

constantly urged into'its latched position by means of the downward pressure ofa heli 'cal spring 117 encircling a rod 118 pivoted at its lower end to the inner end of the head 115, while its upper end plays up and down ina bracket 119 secured to the press-frame 3. The lower end of thesaid spring im-' pinges upon a collar 120 adjustably mounted on the rod 118. v

The lower end of the latch-head 115 is pivotally connected tothe outer end of a horizontal resetting-rod 121 the inner end of which is pivotally connected to the arm 122 of an oscillating resetting-head 123 turning upon a long stud 124 mounted in a bracket 125 bolted to the press-frame 3; The said arm 122 is connected by an integral web 126 with a rounded, forwardly turned resetting "nose 127 which, in the normal operation of the press, maintains a position sufliciently to the rear, of a reciprocating impressionbar 128 to just clear the same, the said bar being continuously actuated whether the operation of the impression mechanism is suspended or not. The said bar 128 (Fig. 15) is formed with an arch 129 for the accommodation of a segmental cam 130 by means of which it is reciprocated, this cam being iao mounted upon the main driving-shaft 35 and co-acting with anti-friction rollers 131 located at the opposite.extremitiesof the arch 129 which is supported at all times in proper relation to the cam 130 by being pivoted to an upwardly extending arm 132 loosely mounted upon'the shaft 35, and rocked back and forth bythe reciprocation of the said bar 128. v i I The bar 128 which operates the impression mechanism of the press and suspends the operation thereof, is formed for this purpose with a depending arm 133 having a vertical coupling-slot 134 receiving a coupling-pin 135 in the coupling-arm 136 of a toggle-lever (Figs. 1 and 14) 137 fixed upon the right hand end of a toggle-shaft 138 furnished at its left hand end'with' a corresponding toggle-lever 137 The projecting ends of the toggle-shaft 138 form heavy trunnions 139 and respectively rest in semicircular bearings in the upper faces of crossheads 140 the ends of which are notched as usual to adapt them to engage with the vertical walls of openings 141 in the pressframe 3, wherebythey are guided in their vertical movement. Each of the crossheads 140 is connected by a pair of tie-rods 142 with corresponding vertically movable cross-heads 143 located in openings 144 in the press-frame 3 and forming bearings for the heavy shaft 145 of the impression cylinder 49 below which the type-bed147 is located. A pair of heavy springs 148 located in openings 149 in the press-frame 3 hear at their upper ends upon headedstuds 150 also mounted in the press-frame andexerting a constant effort to lift the cross-heads 143, and hence the impression cylinder 49, away from the type-bed 147. The up-standing toggle-levers 137 and 137 areorespectively formed at their upper ends with semi-circular bearings 151 for the reception, respectively, of the lmuckle-like lower ends of toggle-links 152 depending from studs 153 in the press-frame 3. When the reciprocation of the resetting-bar 128 swings the toggle-levers 137 and 137 into'their vertical positions, the said links 152 are swung forward into line with the shaft 138 and the studs 153, whereby the cross-heads 140 are depressed, and with them, through the tierods 142, the cross-heads 143 carryingjthe impression cylinder 49 which is, then lowered upon the type-bed 147 against the resistance of the heavy-springs 148. I As long as the reciprocating impression-bar128 remains coupled with the depending couplingarm 136 the impression cylinder 49 will be drawn downward, as above described, once for every reciprocation ofthe bar 128, during the normal operation of the press.

To suspend the operation i of the vimpression mechanism, above described, I employ an uncoupling-roller 154 (Figs. 12 and 13) having a convexed face and turning, idly upon the upper arm 155 of a two-armed uncoupling-lever 156 hung upon a stud 157.

The lower arm 158 of the said lever 156 is pivotally attached to the inner end of an uncoupling rod 159 the outer end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of an arm 160 depending from a treadle-head 161 hung upon a stud 162 in the press-frame 3,

the said treadle-head having a rearwardly projecting arm 163 carrying a heavy counter-weight 164, and an outwardly projecting arm 165 having a foot-treadle 166. The

provision of the treadle-head 161 with the head 115 the arm 114 of which is normally latchedinto the arm 111 of the latch-lever 109 which is swung upon its stud 110 every time the connecting-rod 106 is operated. When the said rod 106 is lifted, the latchlever 109 is rocked to disengage and release the latch-head 115 which is then swung by the action of the pressure-spring 117 so as to push the abutment-lug 169 against the screw 168, whereby the treadle-head 161 is automatically swung and its uncoupling-rod 159 moved for actuating the bell-crank un coupling-lever 156 the arm 155 of which then lifts the roller 154 against the under edge of the reciprocating impression-bar 128 which is then lifted sufficiently to'clear its coupling slot 134 from the coupling-pin 135 in the depending coupling-arm 136 of the toggle of the impression mechanism, whereby the action of the impression mechanism will be sus- I pended and will remain suspended until the automatic resetting mechanism has beenautomatically reset or reset by the use of the treadle 166 by the press man. In its lifted and uncoupled position as shown in Fig. '15, the bar 128 continues to reciprocate as before. In this elevated position it fails, however, to operate the impression mechanism,- but now operates the resetting mechanism proper by having its rear end brought, as shown in Fi 15,'into the path of the resetting-nose 12 of the oscillating resettinghead 123. As the bar 128 moves rearward, its rear end engages with the said nose 127 and forces the same rearward, whereby the head 123'is" swung around and draws the rodi121 so as to turn the latch-head 115 upon its stud 116 against the tension of the pressure-spring'117, whereby the arm 114 of the latch-head is swung downwardfo the 128 to descend into the position in which it automatically recouples itself with the 45 the lug 177 of the lever 174. The tension of the spring 183 also maintains asegmental as described into its latched position, its abutmentrlug 169v retires before the screw 168 of the treadle-head 161 which is swung back into its normal position by its counterweight 164, whereby the uncoupling-rod 159 is actuated to swing the uncoupling lever 156 so as to depress the arm 155 thereof and hence the roller 154 which permits the rod toggle of the impression mechanism. The parts have now resumed their normal positions in which they are idle with the exception of the bar 128 which continues to reci rocate forthe discharge of its impression function.

The mechanism, above described, does not stop the press as a whole,'but-provides for automatically suspending the operation of the impression cylinder so as to cause it to skip, one or more successive impressions after which the said cylinder automatically resumes operation by the functioning of my improvedresetting mechanism. To provide for automatically stopping the entire press by an imperfectly fed sheet of paper, I employ a manually set coupling-link 17 0 (Figs. 10 and 1.2)having a handle 171 and a coupling-flange 172 which latter fits over the rounded outer end of the arm 108 of the latch lever 109.

The said link 170 is suspended'from the outer arm 173 of a stoplever 174 hung upon a, stud 175 and having its inner arm 17 6 furnished with a lug 177 engaging with the inner face of a lug 178 upon a bellcrank stop-lever 179 hung upon a stud 180 and furnished with an actuating-rod 181 carrying an adjustable collar 182 and encircled by a pressure spring 183 pressing at its upper .end against the said collar 182 for turning the said lever 179 upon its stud 180 so as to normally maintain its lug 178 in engagement with lug 184 upon the lower end of the lever 179 inengagement with a set-screw 185 mounted in the upper end of the arm 186 of apower cutout lever hung upon the stud 162 and having its lower arm 187 connected with a clutch or belt-shifting rod 188.

Normally the coupling-link 170 occupies the retired'position in which it is shown in Fig. 10 by full lines. hen this link is swung down into its coupling position in which itis shown by broken lineS in the same figure and by full lines in Fig. 1 2, it forms, as it were, a strut between the rocking stop-lever 174 and the latch-lever 109. Now should the latch-lever 109 be lifted by the rod 106, as the result of an imperfectly fed sheet, the link 170 will transmit this movement to the lever 174 which will be sufficiently rockedto permit its lug 177 pushedagainst the screw 185 and the arm 186 of the power cut-out lever swung inward and the arm 187 thereof outward for pulling the rod 188 as required for cutting out the power from the press."

To provide for manually starting and stopping the press, I employ a handle 189 hung in a bracket 190 and having its lower end pivotally connectedwith the outer end of a bar 191 the innerend of which is connected with the arm 186 of the power cutout lever already described. r

The operation of my improved press, as already stated, may be full manual, semiautomatic, Oi full automatic.

For the full manual operation of the press, it is stripped, as Shown in F ig. 3, by

the removal of its detector head mechanism B and its semi-automatic feed mechanism A. The tapes 14 and 18 of the two sets of tapes are cut out of action by demeshing' or removing'the gear 31, whereby the power is cut off from both sets of tapes, as wellas for theautomatic feeder. The same effect may be secured by removing or denieshing any other of the gears of the train which supply power to the tapes and feeder; 'The sheets are now piled upon the front flap 4 and manually fed against the detector-fingers 45 which act merely as guides and from which they are taken by the grippers within the cylinder 49.

In using the press as a semisau-tomatic feed press, the semi-automatic feed-mechanism.A and the detector mechanism B are positioned upon'the feed-table and secured in place by the knurled screws 50 and 51 asshown in Figs. 1 and 6. The gear 31 is now restored to place, or placedin mesh so as to drive the front set of'tapes 14 andthe automatic feeder; The pinion 21 of the drivingrol'l 19 of the rear set of tapes 18 isdemesjhed from the intermediate pinion 22 whereby the power is cut off from the rear setof tapes 18 leaving the front set of tapes 14 in operation. The sheets are now piled upon the two-part rear flap of the feed-table and manually fed to the sheet-guides60 of the semiautomatic feed mechanism A. Assuming the press to be running, the intermittent descent of the feed-rolls 58 causes the sheets tobe pressed down upon the rear ends of the front set of tapes 14 by means of which the sheets are'conveyed to the detectorefingers 45 of the detector-mechanism B, which fingers function, as has been described, to suspend the action of the impression mechanism or stop the entire press as'niay be desired and dependent upon its use or nonuse of the coupling-link 170.. In case the action of'the impression mechanism is suspended, my improved resetting mechanism will automatically cause the impression mechanism to resume operation as soon as the improperly fed sheet has been removed and a properly presentedsheet has taken its place. 1

In case for any reason ,it is desired to secure access to those parts of the press lying beneath or adjacent toIthe-front flap 4 after the detector mechanism 13- has been installed, the said fiap may be readily swung upward and rearward into its'retired position, whereas in the presses of the prior art, the detector mechanism B has been applied to supporting arms connected with the press-frame and extending over the front flap, making it necessary to'firstswing the detector mechanism B back out of the way and then swing the flap back out of the way. As the front flap 4is swung into its retired position, the coupling-rod 56 naturally disengages itself from the semiautomatic feed-mechanism A.

For the fullautomatic operation of the press, the semiautomatic feed mechanism A is removed, the detector mechanism B being left in position. The pinion 21 is now remeshed with pinion 22 for starting the rear set of tapes 18 which now work in conjunction with the forward set of tapes 14. The automatic feeder is started so as to deliver the sheets upon the rear set of tapes 18 by which they are conveyed to the front set of tapes 14 by which they are presented to the detectoufingers 45 where, if properly presented, they are delivered to the grippers within the impression cylinder 49. As long as the sheets are properly presented to the detector-fingers 45, the stop-fingers 69 will each time be depressed below the path of the heads 68 of the stops 67, whereby the depressor-arm 85 will be permitted to depress the tripping-rod 87 and thus avoid the operation of the tripping mechanism. Meanwhile the reciprocating impression-bar 128 will be continuously operated in its depressed or normal position in which it is coupled with the impression mechanism. In case, however, a sheet is presented in a skewed or improper position with respect to the detector-fingers 45, one of them will fail to operate, and hence to depress its stopfinger 69 below the path of the head 68 of its complementary stop 67, with the immediate effect of preventing the depressor-arm 85 from depressing the tripping-rod 87 to effect the clearance of its stop-collar 90 from the tripping-tooth 91 on the rock-arm 92 which will then, as it swings rearward, move the tripping-rod 87 with it and cause the same to lift the connecting-rod 106 which will rock the two-armed latch-lever 109 so as to disengage its locking-notch 112 from the locking-finger 113 of the latch-head 115 'which' will then'be rocked by the spring 117 to swing the uncoupling-lever 156 and thus bodily lift the impression-bar 128 into its uncoupled position in which it will cease to operate the impression mechanism of the press without, however,-interfering with the .IBCIPFOCillZlOIlof the said bar whlch upon its first movement rearward after belng ralsed and uncoupled, will engage with the nose 127 of the oscillating resetting-head 123 which was moved into position to be so engaged and operated by the bar 128, concurrently with and by the release of the latchhead '115 and the operation thereof by its spring 117. WVhen the rear end of the bar 128 engages with the said nose 127, the head 123 will be swung on its stud 124, and in turns the treadle-head 161 on its stud 162 and causes the rod-159 to swing the lever 156 into position to permit the reciprocating impression-bar 128 to descend into its normal position in which it automatically recouples itself with the impression mechanism. The press will now continue to be tripped and automatically reset until a sheet has been properly presented so as to simultaneously depress the stop fingers 69 below the complementary heads 68 of the stops 67. It should be stated in this connection that when the press is being operated as a semiautomatic feed, an improperly presented sheet will operate in exactly the same way to automatically suspend the action of the impression cylinder and automatically reset the tripping mechanism until a sheet has been properly presented.

In case it is desired to cause an improperly presented sheet to stop the entire press whether the same is being used as a semiautomatic or a full automatic feed, the

coupling link 170 is thrown down into position for coupling the latch-lever 109 with the train of parts which effects the operation of the clutch or belt shifter.

In case the press is driven by an electric motor which is common, the lever 174 will be connected with a switching device 192 (Fig. 18) which may be of an approved design. The rod 188 might if preferred be used to operate an electric switch controlling the motor used to drive the press.

I particularly wish to call attention to the fact that the mechanisms employed for auto matically resetting the impression mechanism and for automatically stopping the entire press, are so constructed and organized with reference to the means employed for manually tripping and stopping the press at anytime for any cause, that the said automatic mechanisms ,do not interfere with manually tripping or stopping the press at any time by the manual means provided for T the purpose. I

The term impression mechanism as used 111 the claims is employed 1n 1ts common significance and is intended to cover those broadest sense, of the term -impression mechanism, the cylinder might be included.

I claim:

1. In a printing press, the combination With an impression mechanism having an impression-cam, .of detector mechanism, tripping mechanism for suspending the operation of the impression mechanism upon the improper presentation of a sheet to the detector mechanism, resetting mechanism operated directly by the said impressioncam for automatically resetting the tripping mechanism, and manually operable means o i With h tr pp me ha ism for .fi r s 9. t is pa e t may b bt ned fo Q stopping thepress Without interfering with the action of the said automatic resetting means.

2. In a convertible fiat-bed printing press,

the combination with an automatic feeder,

of a feed-table having pivotal front and back flaps and a fixed intermediate section,

' tion thereof, and means operated by the said cam for automatically resetting the impression and tripping mechanisms.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Wi nes es. Y

WINF IELD S. HU SON.

i nesses 1 1 L W D, GEORGE D, SEY OUR.

h wm s iqner of wa 

